Theatre Paper. The lion King playing in Broadway

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The Lion King
Introduction
The Lion King is a play that was initially staged in 1994. The game revolves around a young cub named Simba, who is manipulated by his uncle to run into exile. His brother Scar kills Mufasa, who is Simba’s father. Scar later manipulates Simba by associating him with the death of his father. These actions force Simba to run into exile leaving behind the luxurious life he used to live as a son of the king. Upon running, Simba forgets about his previous life and begins a new one in the forest. After a while, his love Nala convinces him to go back and reclaim his dad’s thrown from his uncle. The setting of the play is savanna grassland in Africa. The theme of the game is to highlight the life of wild animals, especially in Africa. Other scholars have also interpreted the play to reflect the greed for power that is the case with most leaders, especially in Africa.
Breakdown of Main Characters in the work
The recent plays of The Lion King exhibit the incorporation of various elements that makes it more exciting and eye-catching compared to the original version that was staged in 1994. The dominant component of the recent release of the play that triggers enthusiasm among the audience is the use of modern visual effects. This involves the use of colorful pictures, excellent lighting, and even the proper use of music. These factors do not only make the play exciting but also helps in bringing out aspects of humor, satire, and farce, among others. The main characters in the play, as mentioned in the introduction, include Simba, Mufasa, Scar, and Nala. Simba is the young cub whom the whole story revolves around. Mufasa is the king of the jungle and Simba’ Simba’s father, who is killed. Scar is a brother and uncle to Mufasa and Simba, respectively. Finally, Nala is the love of Simba, who convinces her lover to go back and reclaim the father’s kingdom.
Design of the work
           The actors in the play assume animal characters, and this makes the play appear as if it is the animals on stage. For instance, Simba’ Simba’s mask works well in revealing the character as a young cub. The use of puppets that shows various animals on the scenes such as elephants, giraffes, and cheetah works well in the play. This is because puppets trigger feelings of reality as the audience gets to have the image of a jungle. This is evident in the opening scene of the play where different sorts of animals pass, making it appear like the real jungle. Tree puppets that are occasionally displayed on the stage also bring the sense of the savanna in the play. 
The puppets used in the play do more than just portraying the image of the animals. This is because they reveal the style of various characters within the play. Some of the perfect examples of the costumes that describe character styles include the masks won by both Mufasa and Scar. Mufasa’s mask, for instance, is designed to reveal the power, which is bestowed on him as the king. This is contrary to Scar’s costume, which is designed in an asymmetrical manner that signifies his hostility. In addition, both the masks had been built to allow modifications that create illusions. This way, the costumes are used to make the scenes more dramatic. The costumes won by various characters in the play are also significant as they give the audience a free ticket to Africa. Simba’ Simba’s costumes, for instance, have a sense of Africa. From his beaded corset to the bands in his wrist and ankle brings the African feeling in the play.
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